Post 4 - Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg Panorama Trail Hike

The Takeaway:

• The ~5 km trail from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg is a fantastic hike (really more of a walk) for those at all skill levels.

• Anyone with a couple of hours and a basic level of fitness can experience some of the best alpine panoramas in Switzerland.

• The trail is safe with numerous amenities along the way, and mostly downhill, making it perfect for families with younger kids.

• This hike gets a 9/10 - RECOMMENDED rating (loses one point due to the crowds).

• For more of my Swiss hiking trips, tips, and pictures, check out @HikingSchweiz on Twitter.

With a bunch of kids in tow, our group needed a hike that wouldn’t be too hard, super safe, and enjoyable for all. This criteria pointed squarely at one option: the panorama trail hike from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. Safe and no drop-offs? Check. Killer views? Check. Interesting trains and trams to and from the trail? Check. Restaurant options, an alpine playground, and snow to play in? Check, check, check.

We started with a drive to the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Jungfrau region of the Berner Oberland. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is glacially carved like Yosemite in California but oozing with Swiss charm. It is one of the deepest valleys in the Alps with cliff walls up to 3,300 feet high, and has 72 waterfalls including Europe’s highest. With all the water tumbling down, it’s no wonder that its name translates to many/loud fountains. It’s a magical spot and deserves a place on any list of must-visit places in Switzerland. It’s so magical that it even provided the inspiration for Rivendell in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

From the town of Lauterbrunnen (797 m), we boarded a slow mountain train for the short ride up to Wengen (1,276 m). Perched among alpine meadows, Wengen is a charming, car-free hamlet. Leaving the train station, we walked through the town, stopping at every playground on the way, until we made it to the aerial cableway that would take us up to Mannlichen.

From Wengen, the aerial cableway zips straight up the cliff face to Mannlichen (2,222 m). Nice way to avoid a multi-hour walk and 1,000 meters of elevation gain! The path leads right from the upper cableway station, with two options. We headed to the left up the “Royal Way” to the Mannlichen lookout point (2,342 m). It adds a couple of extra kilometers and involves a short climb, but the path is wide and safe, and the views are sick. Highly worth it - maybe one of the best views in the entire Jungfrau region.

Some folks just hit the lookout point, head back to the cableway, grab a bratwurst, and call it a day. But that’s pretty lame. Instead, we followed the path back past the cableway and its restaurants, and hit the trail. Here the path turns to a proper hiking trail, and hugs the left side of the Klein Tschuggen Tupphorn, the Tschuggen, and the Lauberhorn (the three lower grass-covered peaks on the right in the pic above). Because the trail is more or less downhill, we were confident that complaints from the kiddos would be kept to a minimum. Also we had lots of snacks (Pro tip: always bring snacks). Before heading down the trail, we had to stop at the playground at Mannlichen. Never pass up a good playground.

This trail’s claim to fame is that during the entire hike, you get to gawk at some of the most famous and impressive mountain peaks in the Alps. The standouts here are in the background of the picture above, and from left to right are the Eiger (3,970 m), Monch (4,099 m), and Jungfrau (4,158 m). The names roughly translate to the Ogre, Monk, and Virgin. The lore behind these names is that the noble monk is protecting the young girl from the nasty ogre, or something like that.

The best part of this hike is that parents or beginner hikers can chill out and enjoy the views without worrying about kids wandering off-trail and finding a drop-off, or about falling themselves. For the most part, going off-trail will only result in wandering into a field of wildflowers.

Midway through the hike, we found several patches of snow for the kids to play in. It was July so the snow wasn’t the freshest, but so long as they didn’t eat the snow, it’s all good fun! But of course the kids ate the snow. D’oh! After our snack of old, dirty snow, we continued on toward our destination of Kleine Scheidegg (2,061 m). Before heading to the train station to head back down to Lauterbrunnen, we hit up the Restaurant Grindelwaldblick for some grub - four brats please! From the restaurant’s outdoor terrace and adjoining lookout tower, we had a perfect view of the Eiger Nordwand (north face). Definitely worth a visit even if you’re not hungry.

The 1,800 meter Eiger Nordwand is the biggest north face in the Alps, and arguably the most famous. It was first ascended in 1938 in 3 days. In 2015, Swiss climbing legend Ueli Steck ascended the Eiger Nordwand in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 50.7 seconds!! I recommend checking out some of Ueli’s YouTube videos of his speed ascents - they’re insane. Here is a 2-minute video of him scaling the Eiger Nordwand, it’s worth a watch:

This two hour hike is at the T1 grade level on the Swiss alpine hiking scale, so it is accessible for those of all ages and skill levels. The trail was well marked with blazes and signs, so the route was very easy to navigate. For more info on the Swiss alpine hiking grade scale, check out the link below:

This was an enjoyable, relaxing hike, which I recommend especially for beginner hikers or those with younger kids. I give it a 9/10 rating, with the hike missing out on the top rating due to the crowds. Because the Jungfrau region is so popular, the hike is so easy, and has such killer views, you can imagine how crowded it gets, especially on nice summer days. Those looking for solitude and tranquility should look elsewhere.

This is one of the most popular hikes in the area for good reason, and is the go-to trail for those seeking a short, memorable hike, with amazing views and requiring minimal effort. If your time is limited and you need a hike accessible to everyone in your group, this should be at the top of your list. Note that the hike can be done in either direction but it is better to start at Mannlichen so the route is generally downhill and the best views are always in front of you.

STANDARD SAFETY DISCLAIMER - As with any hike, even an easy one like this, it is important to consider your personal skill level and gear, including safety items, and remember to check the weather forecast. For safety items, consider bringing cash and a credit card, a cell phone, a small headlamp, foul/cold weather gear, an emergency blanket and whistle, food and water, a knife, sunscreen, and a first aid kit. You may never need most of these items, but you will be happy to have them if you do!! For weather, I recommend the MeteoSwiss app. A little planning goes a long way towards making your trip a successful one.

One final note on safety - it is important to be honest with yourself and those in your group when it comes to your experience, fitness level, and the conditions. Hiking is not like going to Disney World - it has real risks. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Everyone has to assess and assume the risks for themselves. I also recommend becoming a Rega patron if you hike in Switzerland. Rega provides emergency medical rescue services if at all possible for a small annual donation. Rega can be reached by dialing 1414 or via the Rega app. More info on Rega can be found here: https://www.rega.ch/en/

Happy hiking!

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